More than three million Chinese tourists are expected to flock to Italy on holiday this year following the easing of Covid restrictions. Italy is considered the top destination in Europe for Chinese tourists and there has been a steady increase in bookings for 2023.

Cristiano Varotti, the China Manager at the Italian National Tourist Board, has recently returned to Italy after living in China for 11 years. He says this is the moment the world's tourism industry has been waiting for.

"I have been spending the whole pandemic period in China and it's been tough not being able to travel outside of the country so I'm sure that now that the Chinese borders are finally open everyone is really happy to travel abroad. So, the hype is there and we're expecting big numbers for 2023 and 2024," he said.

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Paolo Belle manages three Hilton hotels in the capital, each with special certification for Chinese tourism.

He said post-pandemic, Chinese travelers are willing to pay more for a different approach, such as solo travel and more outdoor experiences.

"Normally in the past Chinese tourists were only traveling in groups and now we can see Chinese people booking as individuals and this is very important and interesting, because it is a different type of tourism," he said.

In addition to the eternal city, high on the agenda for Chinese tourists is the commercial hub of Milan and cities of art such as Venice and Florence.

Experts say they're "high spenders" who make a significant contribution to key industries.

"And especially they are concentrated in these areas that are really important for Made in Italy, so fashion, food, design and that's very important to us," confirmed Varotti.

According to the Italian National Institute of Statistics, in 2019 before the pandemic, 3.5 million Chinese tourists traveled to Italy – numbers not expected to return until 2024.

But even a predicted 60 to 70 percent recovery of Chinese tourism this year will provide a big boost to Italy's economy and revive crucial business ties between the two countries.

"The connection between Italy and China is historical, we always had an exchange of business, and the Chinese people are always more than welcome," said Belle.